Automatic water trap



. w and whose distortion,

Patented May l10, 1927.

UNITED 'STATES PATE-NT OFFICE.

l PAUL CHARLES `RIBES, F COLOMBES, FRANCE.

AUTOMATIC WATER TRAP.

App'neatien mea December a9, 1924,

i.- The water-trap is essentially characterizedI p ,by the following features which may be used separately, or preferably7 in combination:

The liquid contained 1n the collapsible box or boxes consists of al mixture y of water and various organiclcompounds such as alcohols,y 2o ethers or hydrocarbons, saturated vapour of. the mixture being at all temperatures greater, by a constant or ap` proximately constant quantity, than'the tension of saturated water vapour at the same l temperature;

The cross section of the walls of each collapsible box has the-shape'of an arc of a parabola of small-parameter, the vertex'of the parabola being adjacent the centre of the 3o said wall,'the axis of symmetry being outwardly inclined relativelyl to the mean plane of the said box, whilst the arc of the parabola which is utilized is joined to the peripheral and the central vwalls by cavettos having a relatively large radius;

The metallic walls of the collapsible box vor boxes comprise concentric lcorrugations whereof the amplitude`diminishes gradually towards the periphery;

The closing member of the water-trap consists of a plain flat poppet valve having a circular groove in its lower face bywhich it is adapted to coloperate with the flat seating of the water-trap body;

The collapsible box or boxes are supported by the part of the main body of the apparatus which comprises the water outlet.

J In the appended drawin which shows by way of example an emb iment of the in- 50 ventiOn, Fig. 1

water-trap arid Fig. 2 is, on a lar er scale,

a half cross section of a colla sible ox wall.

The apparatus shown in, ig. 1 consists of a lower portion .or body l carrymg the the tension of the is a vertical section' of the.

Serial Ilo. 758,568, and in France October 15, 1924.

drain conduit 2, and the cover 3 which is screwed thereto -with"the interposition. of the packing member 4 andis connected with the steam piping by the conduit 5.

The collapsible device which comprises the box 6 is suspended from the ring 7 which 1s clamped between the main body 1 andthe screwed cover 3; the upper wall of the said.

box is secured to the screw 8 which lis Y screwed into the ring 7 and is fastened to the latter by means of the nut 9. The screw 8 has formed therein a central tap ed hole having disposed at the lower part t e valve ball 10, and through which a liquid may be poured into the box 6 in which a vacuum is then produced. After these operations are effected, the said ball is secured in place b means of the screw 11 and the latter is pre erably soldered to the screw 8.

the head 12 to which the valve 13 is riveted. The said valve, which co-operates with the flat seating 14 for the closing of the orifice of the drain conduit 2, is characterized by 'the fact that it comprises a circular groove 15 upon its lower flat face.

Fig. 2 section of one of the box walls; 16 indicates this wall which comprises suitable corrugations on either sideof the parabola 17 of small parameter (for example on the order of 2 mm.) the said corrugations, which are concentric, decrease in amplitude from the centre to the periphery of the wall, i. e., from left to right of the figure. The axis of symmetry 18 of the parabola issomewhat inclined to the mean plane of the wall, and the angle a has for instance a value of some 20 degrees; the corrugated part of the wall is provided with the cavettos 19 and 20 having a relatively large radius.

The liquid contalned in the box` 6-or in the boxes, should the apparatus comprise a plurality of boxes communicating with each other or independent-consists of a mixture of water and organic compounds such as alcohols, ethers or hydrocarbons; by way of example, a mixture having thefollowing percentage composition may be employed: l

/ Parts.

Water 5() Hexane-; 25 25 Benzine 'llhe' lower wall of the box 6 is secured toshows the shape of the diametrical A mixture of this kind has a saturated vapour tension which is higher at all temperatures-or at least within the temperature limits at which the apparatus is usually workinguto the saturated vapour tension of water at the same temperature, the dit ference between the vapour tensions being constant (or approximately so) at the different temperatures. The said mixture is of a reducing nature, so that it will maintain a constant volume and will not attack the metal of the box or boxes, and further, its freezing point may be made very low.

Then the apparatus is filled with steam, the temperature within the box 6 will be the same as the temperature outside the box, and the valve 13 will be applied upon its seat 14 due to the difference between the vapour tension of the liquid in the said box or boxes and the tension of the steam.

When water is condensed within the apparatus, the pressure outside the box 6 will remain the same as the pressure in the steam conduit, but the pressure within the said box will be lowered at the same time as the tem perature, and will attain a value below that of the steam pressure. At this time the box 6 will contract land will lift the valve 13. This movement takes place in a very abrupt manner, due on the one hand to the presence of the groove 15 in the valve 13 and on the other hand to the general paraboloid form of the box walls and to the concentric corrugations of decreasing amplitude of the said walls. By reason of the disposition oi. the said box walls and of their large radius cavettos 19 and 20, the stresses are uniformly distributed upon the surface of the said walls, so that the life of the said boxes is augmented while the said valve will have a constant lift irrespectively of the operating pressure. The abrupt ascent of the valve allows of forcing the expelled water of condensation and hence of recovering this hot water, it being for example delivered to the boiler.

In virtue of the constant or substantially constant difference between the vapour tension of the liquid within the collapsible box or boxes and the tension of the steam, the valve 13 will operate instantly under all pressures for temperature differences of even a few degrees. By the use of a properly composed mixture, the water-trap can be made to operate for any given temperature of the water of condensation.

Obviously, the said invention is not limited to the particular details of construction hereinbefore set forth, these being given solely by way of example.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letp ters Patent is:

l. A water-trap comprising a body, a

steam andwatcr inlet and a water outlet on Parts. llllater 50 Hexane 25 Benzine 25 2. A water-trap comprising a' body, a steam and water inlet and a water outlet on said body, a cylindrical collapsible box` supported by and within said body, the half diametrical section of the end walls of said box being an arc of a parabola of small parameter, the vertex of the parabola being adjacent the wall centre and its axis being inclined and outside the box, a fluid contained within said box and the pressure whereof, according to the temperature within said box, varies in accordance with a predetermined law and a closing member for said water outlet and supported by one end wall of said box. i

3. A water-trap comprising a body, a steam and water inlet and a water outlet on said body, a cylindrical collapsible box supported by and within said b ox, each end wall of said box comprising a central ortion and a paraboloidal portion, the hal di ametrical section of said paraboloidal portion being an arc of a parabola of small parameter the vertex of the parabola being adjacent said central portion and its axis being inclined and outside the box and I cavettos of relatively large radius connecting said paraboloidal portion with the central portion and the peripheral wall of the box, a fluid contained within said box and the pressure whereof, according to the temperature withinsaid box, varies in accordance with a predetermined law and a closing member for said water outlet and supporte by one end wall of said box. 4

4. A water-trap comprising a body, a steam and water inlet and a water outlet on said body, a cylindrical collapsible box supported by and within said body, the half diametrical section of the end walls of said box being an arc of a parabola of small parameter, the vertex of the parabola being adjacent the wall centre and its axis being inclined and outside the box, concentric corrugations provided on said end walls and the amplitude whereof diminishes gradually from the centre towards the periphery', a Huid contained within said box and the pressure whereof, according to the tem era ture within said box, varies in accor ance with a predetermined law and a closing member for said water outlet and supported by one end wall of said box.

5. A water-trap comprising a body, a, steam and water inlet and a. water outlet on said body, a collapsible box supported by and within said body, a flat valve supported 5 by said box and adapted to close said water outlet, a circular groove rovded on the flat bearing surface of sald valve, and a uid contained within said box and the pressure whereof, according to the temperature within said box, varies 1n accordance with a lo predetermined law.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

` PAUL CHARLES RIBES. 

